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In 2007-2008, the high food price crisis and the simultaneous global recession pushed millions of the world’s poor further into poverty, while also having an impact on global food security. The EU acted quickly to establish the EU Food Facility, allocating a record €1 billion to support those most in need. The EU provides funding through international organizations, non-governmental organizations and member state institutions, which then design and launch targeted short-term projects to fill the gap between countries’ emergency needs and development goals. FAO received a quarter of the funds and used the assessment’s findings to provide assistance to about 15 million people in Africa, Asia and Latin America. When the project cycle ended in early 2012, FAO was able to provide tangible evidence that investments in agriculture and nutrition had a direct impact on countries’ acute problems, while helping to build the resilience of vulnerable groups. This finding has long-term implications for reducing poverty and improving global food security.
Bangladesh has experienced remarkable economic progress since the 1990s, but the high food price crisis of 2007 pushed 7.5 million Bangladeshis back into poverty. This scenario is being repeated across the developing world, as the sharp rise in commodity prices in 2007-2008 has pushed more and more of the world’s most vulnerable into crisis.
The crisis was so fast and so widespread that no single development organization could handle it alone. The European Union stepped in quickly. It established the EU Food Facility, allocating €1 billion to help countries meet the immediate challenge of high food prices. The programme lasted three years. By the time it ended in 2012, emergency assistance had helped tens of millions of the world’s most vulnerable people get through the crisis. At the same time, FAO designed projects to provide training and materials needed to make them more resilient to future crises.
Evaluation helps improve project relevance
FAO is the largest single recipient of Food Facility funds, allocating €238 million (US$320 million) to 31 projects in 28 countries. These projects have brought direct benefits to 15 million farmers, fisherfolk and livestock keepers in Africa, Asia and Latin America. At the start of the programme, FAO, in coordination with its UN partners – in particular its sister agencies, the World Food Programme and the International Fund for Agricultural Development – conducts assessment missions to identify specific needs and constraints in each country. Based on the feedback, FAO is able to target projects and provide support and training in areas ranging from improving agricultural production or water harvesting methods to introducing new crop varieties, creating private sector seed businesses and establishing farmer-market links.
In addition to training, projects also provide key inputs such as seeds and fertilizers, farm machinery and irrigation equipment, as well as feed for small and large ruminants, poultry and animals, and fishing equipment. For example, FAO projects have overseen the vaccination of more than 44.6 million livestock. Recognizing the importance of combining the provision of inputs with specific training on how to best use or apply them, FAO helps recipients go on to improve their lives, thus bridging the gap between emergency assistance and medium- and long-term development.
In Bangladesh, FAO worked with the Government to identify current and future needs and designed a project to support 80,000 farming and fishing families in the country’s southwestern region. The region was particularly hard hit as it is still recovering from flooding caused by two consecutive cyclones – Sidr in 2007 and Aila in 2009. The project provided farmers with inputs and machinery, livestock and feed, and materials to build animal shelters. It also provided fishermen with fish seed and equipment to promote aquaculture and open water fishing – all introduced through Farmer Field Schools established by FAO. Recognizing the project’s success in increasing production and helping farmers build resilience for the future, the Government is currently discussing strategies to continue the project and scale it up.
Similarly, in the Philippines, FAO established farmer field schools and introduced small-scale irrigation systems. Meanwhile, in Zimbabwe, FAO’s Food Facility project provided 26 000 tonnes of maize and sorghum seeds and appropriate fertilizers, significantly increasing the yields of 176 000 farming households. In Niger, a drought destroyed harvests and exacerbated the food crisis, and the priority was to reduce malnutrition among 72 000 farming households (about 500 000 people) by increasing agricultural production.
Not only was FAO able to launch these projects quickly and find the right people to help, it was also able to respond to the unexpected. The original project in Pakistan was planned to provide wheat and vegetable seeds and fertilizer to 100,000 farmers. But when Pakistan was hit by severe monsoon floods, FAO expanded the project to provide assistance to people in the flooded areas while still providing the promised assistance to the farmers.
FAO set up field teams to oversee the operation of its 31 projects, which had a 99% delivery rate. Although the projects have ended, their contributions have not. Almost all participating countries have pledged to continue their efforts based on the EU Food Facility projects.
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